German Industrial Standards relating to "Elektrische Haushalt-Brotroster mit und ohne Brotchenaufsatz" (Electric Domestic Bread Toasters with and without Roll Warmer Attachment, DIN 44 542, specify that "it shall be possible to grasp toasted bread slices, after they are in a position ready for removal, without any auxiliary means being required. This requirement shall be deemed to be satisfied if each slice of toasted bread protrudes by at least 30 mm out of the toasting chamber when in its most favorable position after being placed in a position ready for removal. The pop-up mechanism shall operate in such a manner that the toasted bread slices are not ejected out of the toasting chamber."
In conventional bread toasters, this DIN requirement is only satisfied if usual commercial toast slices are used. If an operator intends to toast brown bread of particularly small dimensions as, for example, the ends of a loaf, these do not, as a rule, extend out of the toasting chamber by the required minimum of 30 mm when in a position ready for removal. Frequently, they are still completely submerged in the depths of the toast well.
To remedy this deficiency, DE-29 42 890 A1 describes a bread toaster which, in addition to the lifting device, has an extra-lift device which is used whenever the toasted article fails to project by at least 30 mm out of the toasting chamber after it is placed in a position ready for removal. Thus, with the toaster in the position ready for removal of the toasted article, this extra-lift device enables toasted slices which project from the toasting chamber only slightly or not at all to be raised by an additional amount so that they protrude from the toasting chamber in a manner sufficient for easy removal from the toasting chamber and thus from the bread toaster by hand.
In this bread toaster, the extra-lift device comprises a control knob provided on the opposite side of the handhold on the toaster housing, the control knob having a transmission lever engaging underneath the toasting rack resting on the carriage in order to raise the toasting rack farther upwardly independently of the carriage in the toast-removing position of the carriage. Each movement of the carriage by raising or lowering the handle also involves a turning motion of the control knob which, however, occurs in a direction different from the direction of movement of the handle. While the direction of movement of the handle is parallel to the guide rods of the carriage, that is, perpendicular to the surface on which the toaster sits, a rotary motion results on the control knob which is parallel to the end panel of the bread toaster.
The different directions of motion adversely affect functionality and handling of a bread toaster, because the controls operating to raise the toasting rack, that is, the handle and the control knob, are arranged on opposite end panels of the bread toaster. Because the sole operation of the handle also causes the control knob to be turned since the two controls are coupled together, an operator is likely to confuse the control knob with the handle.